Cooperatively run, non-profit vegan cafe est. 2013. Serves a variety of vegan snacks and meals like sausage rolls and samosas plus cakes, milkshakes, Zapatista coffee. Sells some retail items including chocolates, cheeses, mock meats, tofu, tempeh, and vegan cookbooks. A ramp is available to provide wheelchair access, however the toilet is reported not wheelchair accessible. Reported re-opened Sept 2024. Open Mon 11:30-16:00, Thu-Fri 11:30-16:00, Sat-Sun 10:00-16:00. Open hours vary so check ahead.
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76 Clarence Rd, Hackney, East London, England, E5 8HB
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- Wheelchair accessible
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Last update on 20 Sep 2024 by craigmc
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165 Reviews
First Review by HelenGi
PurpleGoat
Points +346
Delicious, Friendly, & Good Value - Edit
A great vibe, delicious food, big portions, and reasonable prices made this a lovely spot for lunch. I had the pleasure of enjoying a chicken wrap with a beautiful herbed mayonnaise and ooey, gooey, melty cheese- a treat indeed from a vegan perspective! There were lots of drinks and some divine-looking desserts on offer too. Plenty of room, free wifi, friendly service, a basic selection of vegan goods, and a vegan bookshop made this a great little cafe that I would happily enjoy again. Big bonus for being 100% cruelty free.
Read morePros: Delicious food with amazing vegan cheese, Filling portions at reasonable prices , Nice atmosphere and service
Cons: None!
Guest
JadeShannonTomlinson
Points +24
Great - Edit
Love the food and good people
Read moreGuest
CosmicNonsense
Points +61
If only it was closer - Edit
This is my favourite fully vegan food place in East London - that's about all I can say really.
Read moreIf you haven't been there you really should go there.
Pros: All the food, Fully vegan, Hot European punk girl! Haha :)
Cons: Not easy to get to, Some
Guest
SequinSkull
Points +72
The best! - Edit
I'm so grateful that this wonderful place is close to home! The most tasty, interesting and plentiful food. Friendly and political - vegan, punk and anarchist literature available. Milkshakes to die for! Amazing cake - especially the peanut butter cheesecake
Read morePros: Food tasty and excellent value, Friendliness, Great literature
Guest
Rosa and Joe
Points +570
Delicious and great politics! - Edit
This is a brilliant cafe! Everything is vegan and the food is delicious, we have been there several times and everything has always tasted great. (And we don't say that lightly!) There is always a good mixture of filling hearty food (e.g. tofu+tempeh pie with mash and red onion gravy) as well as lighter things like soups and sandwiches. The cakes are great as well, and there is a shop with great vegan, anarchist and environmental books, and lots of vegan things you don't see everywhere (vegusto, tofurky and other things I don't even know the name of). It is a workers' co-op, which is great, and everyone working there is always really lovely. It's brilliant for brunch as well. The only trouble is the portions are so generous we don't usually have space for cake - but you can always have a takeaway slice, which they give you in a sweet little box. Best place!
Read morePros: Delicious meals, cakes, breakfasts, It's a workers' co-op, All vegan
Cons: No cons, it's perfect!
Guest
EmilyCXL
Points +26
Amazing - Edit
The food is delicious- really delicious, generous portions for a really good price! The staff are so friendly and sweet, and it has a great relaxed atmosphere. This place is just so great.
Read morePros: great menu , lovely people, inexpensive
Cons: I can't go there every day D:
Guest
barringtonmac
Points +92
Good Cafe - Edit
Really nice place. Large portions, good value. The staff are really friendly and nice to deal with. They do a lot of fake meat stuff if you like that kind of thing. They do a fry up that is huge. Its all really tasty.
Read morePros: good value, nice staff, tasty
Guest
Lorina
Points +18
I love this place! - Edit
I walked in and within minutes felt at home. The staff were friendly and chatty, the atmosphere was relaxed, the food was delicious (I had a seitan burger, a piece of orange polenta cake, a chocolate milkshake and a latte) and I was also able to pick up some toothpaste while I was there! It was a very positive experience for me and my friend, so much so that I think we may have stayed later than we intended (apologies to the staff - they were too nice to tell us to get lost!)
Read morePros: Great value for money big portions delicious food
Cons: none I can think of!
Guest
Dan+Ash
Points +155
Love this place! - Edit
We love it here - it's always buzzy and cosy and the staff are super-friendly. The burgers are the best in town!! And always amazing cakes and desserts (and milkshakes!) too - make sure you leave room for them! Really reasonable prices and it's BYOB too. They also have some fridges with food (like vegan cheeses, tofu etc.) and drinks to take away. Really good for a lovely, reasonable dinner, brunch or just a weekend coffee and cake.
Read moreGuest
Miggi
Points +2681
Fantastic friendly vegan cafe and shop - Edit
We loved Black Cat! Great atmosphere, friendly people. Shop has interesting books and also some unusual vegan foods.
Read more100% vegan menu with delicious, down-to-earth meals cooked well and served in massive portions. Very reasonable prices.
Lasagne - great flavour and texture, served with a good crunchy salad.
Burger - big thick home-made burger in a bun with wedges, sauce and salads.
Fantastic cheesecake and milkshakes.
We got some homemade samosas to take-away for lunch the next day as well.
Pros: All vegan , Great hearty meals for good prices, Puddings
Guest
Schnabuliertier
Points +28
Delicious food and authentic atmosphere! - Edit
The Black Cat is one of the best vegan restaurants I've been to in London! The service is very friendly, the food is fresh and simply delicious, the prices are definitely worth the quality, and all in all the place is very trustworthy and simply perfect to have a meal, milkshake, or cake. Very very very high recommended!
Read moreGuest
AgataAgathe
Points +171
Lovely place - Edit
Nice vegan food and desserts. Definitely worth to visit.
Read moreGuest
starcide
Points +578
I think this is my new favourite place in London! - Edit
We visited here on a Sunday afternoon, the breakfast menu was still being served, two of us had the seitan gyros which were simply amazing, big big portion, came with a load of fresh good salad with some great dressings and vegan mayo sauce and lovely flatbread. They also gave us a whole wine bottle of chilled water when we asked for tap water, which was great. Afterwards I had cinnamon roll which I loved so much, I've not managed to have one of these since going vegan and it was so much appreciated. Friends of mine also tried the milkshakes and the soup and said everything was really nice.
Read moreThe atmosphere was really nice and I liked that they sold other bits of pieces like radical books (a lot of AK press stuff) and Zapatista coffee. The staff were nice and pleasant too. The prices were also very very reasonable, especially for the quality of the food and large portion sizes.
A high quality no non-sense vegan cafe which is probably my new favourite place to eat in London.
Pros: brilliant food, great price, great atmosphere and service
Guest
Purpletrousers
Points +46
the best I know in London... - Edit
So it's hard to keep up with so many places opening up all over town, but after another delightful visit today I felt the need to leave my 5stars...
Read moreI valued its predecessor Pogo, and I'm sure some will miss the edgier feel it had, but Black Cat is just consistently so tasty, friendly and just an enjoyable space to be in, to top it all it's a not for profit co-operative, what more could you want? Treats?! I can pick up some great vegan hazelnut/praline chocolate (65g Vego bars £1.50; 150g £3 =50p cheaper than the wholefoods place on my street!) and loads of great stuff in the fridge, I feel very lucky it's just a 10minute bike ride away. Thank you Black Cat people, & well done!
Guest
Dana2107
Points +46
A must visit! - Edit
Great place, variety of dishes and deserts. Cozy, friendly and delicious. I went twice and I wanna go again!
Read morePros: Nice vibe, Reasonable prices, Creative good food
Cons: Opens late on weekends
Guest
_jennypenny
Points +18
happiness - Edit
the cakes and cinnamon bun are amazing! I will be back soon to give their main meals a try - it was a sweets kind of day :)
Read moreGuest
jon active
Points +2987
Honestly the best place for vegans in London. - Edit
I haven't reviewed The Black Cat up till now as I have been involved in setting it up and running it. But now it has gained the kind of recognition and reviews it deserves I feel able to say without fear of being accused of bias that this small worker run coop in Hackney is the best place for vegans to eat in London. Some other places might occasionally be cheaper, some might have fancier cakes but The Black Cats' cuisine is now so good that I have little reason to eat anywhere else! Also it's a pleasure to patronise a place that is committed to being vegan rather than just jumping on the hip bandwagon, and to know that all the food, the toiletries and cleaning products are vegan. The Black Cat also has a great selection of vegan cookbooks and other radical literature on offer. Don"t be shy to ask for a chefs' special, they are great! Or indeed ask for your own special! There are often superb sugar free brownies. Treat yourself visit this place and it won't cost you much!
Read morePros: Great food, All vegan cooperative , Friendly atmosphere
Cons: Closes at 8 weekends and 9 weekdays., Can get rather busy at weekends!
Guest
Lkebled
Points +28
Amazing - Edit
Had lunch at the black cat and have to say it is amazing, the butterbean and mixed pepper curry was so tasty. And the milk shake was amazing, Definitely worth a visit if your in london, easy to find and the staff are so friendly. Will defo visit again :o)
Read moreGuest
Books and Backpacks
Points +48
MUST VISIT! - Edit
Black Cat is my favourite cafe in London. The breakfast during the weekend is worth getting out of bed (and potentially trekking across London) for! I've had all kinds of food here - jackfruit burgers, breakfast nachos, salads and, of course, the most amazing sausage rolls. Everything is always delicious.
Read morePros: Well priced, All vegan, Delicious
Guest
Jonatand
Points +109
Favourite place in London - Edit
This is by far my favoruite place in London!
Read moreGreat food, great prices, friendliest staff ever!
It´s even got a nice little bookshop, what more can you ask for?
This is really a must when visiting this city!
Guest
claire lille
Points +64
GREAT - Edit
This is a great place to eat, the food is wonderful, staff are helpful and friendly but also nice and relaxed. Great value for money. I live in the middle of Essex but we often go just to eat here. So good to be able to go in and be able to eat ANYTHING on the menu.
Read moreThanks
Pros: Great food, ALL VEGAN, Relaxed
Guest
EmilyBennett3050
Points +324
Impressed! - Edit
We visited for the first time recently and were very impressed. The space is clean and accessible, far more so compared to the old Pogo Cafe. My partner ordered a fried breakfast and I had a chicken burger with chips. Everything was freshly made. During the time that we were there the menu board was wiped clean and dinner specials replaced the brunch/lunch menu. We almost contemplated doing something in the local area just so we could visit again for dinner! In addition to the cafe, Black Cat has a number of items on sale in their shop: chocolate bars, drinks, vegan cheese, faux meat, crisps and some cruelty-free toiletries (among other finds). Most items seem to represent good value for money. Definitely recommended if you are in the local area.
Read morePros: Good selection of food, shop has a variety of vegan items to buy
Guest
Chris W
Points +432
Can't recommend this place enough! - Edit
This place is fantastic - it looks great and is really inviting and there is a great range of home cooked food - breakfasts, seitan pie, mash and greens, amazing huge sausage rolls, cakes etc etc. The menu changes regularly and is often really inventive.
Read moreThey also sell loads of vegan groceries - some of which are very tricky to get hold of normally as well as cut-price vegan cookery books. All of the staff are really friendly. The cafe is a co-operative. There is little to fault really!
Pros: Great inventive food, Really nice surroundings, Great shop
Cons: None
Guest
imogenmichel
Points +2693
Superb vegan breakfast fry up - Edit
I came here for breakfast this weekend and I was so impressed! I hadn't had a proper fried breakfast in a cafe since I went vegan, and the food in the Black Cat really reminded me of how good a weekend morning fry up can be. The space is lovely and the staff were very friendly and helpful. Totally fantastic!
Read morePros: All vegan delicious food, Great staff and space
Guest
Nikki1801
Points +963
I LOVE this place! - Edit
This place is awesome. I mean, the staff, the atmosphere, the food...We've left the Uk now for a while and I can't wait to get back in the city to return here. We had mushroom pie with mash, greens and gravy and it was just unreal! Proper British food :) We also had drinks and cakes which were also decent, well worth the trip to try it out! They also have a nice section selling books/off the shelf food stuffs, plus a big fridge stocked with all kinds of vegan foods at really decent prices :)
Read morePros: ethos, great atmosphere, great food, reasonable price
Cons: Location (if going afterdark)
Guest
robz
Points +515
I could live here ;) - Edit
Today was a sunny spring day and I met a friend at the cafe for lunch. The large front window was completely open letting the sun stream in with people sitting relaxed on the benches at the front, could have been on the continent rather than looking over Hackney's Pembury estate ;)
Read moreMy almond burger in brown bun was tasty and came with lovely brown chips (just how my mother used to make them), and a side salad with sprouts. Great food and at a good price, and friendly relaxed service.
They have a good range of books for sale too. I like the fact they are a co-op and operate a fair price policy.
I could have spent all day in here, but I had to come back to work :(
Pros: check, all vegan, food is great
Cons: not open too late
Guest
Veganizor
Points +16
Amazing! - Edit
A 5 minute walk from Hackney Central Station you will find this incredible 100% vegan cafe, where you can choose from big and delicious breakfast, lunch or dinner -not all at the same time though you will be tempted! - or their delicious treats - brownies, cakes and smoothies. Staff is very warm and welcoming and you can also buy your vegan treats such as vegusto, daiya or chocolates. It will occupy most of your dayIt's a must! Closed on Tuesdays.
Read moreGuest
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